Lebanon leaders say Israel threatens stability on border

Lebanon’s top leaders have accused Israel of threatening the stability of the border region between the two countries, where peace has largely prevailed since a 2006 war. President Michel Aoun, Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri, and parliament speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday agreed to act to prevent Israel from building a wall on Lebanese land at the frontier, and threatening an offshore energy block in disputed waters, Reuters said. Israel says the wall is being built on its own territory, while Beirut says it passes through territory that belongs to Lebanon but which lies on the Israeli side of the Blue Line. The area concerned is where the UN demarcated Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. Arguments over the wall and Lebanon’s plans to explore for offshore oil and gas in the disputed maritime waters have elevated tensions between the two states.